The present embodiments relate to an adaptive MR local coil.
In medical engineering, imaging methods are an important tool. Thus, for example, in clinical sectional imaging, imaging by magnetic resonance (MR) (e.g., magnetic resonance tomography (MRT)) is characterized by high and variable soft tissue contrasts. High-frequency electromagnetic resonance signals are received by electrically conducting loops, coils, and/or antennae. In the process, a voltage is induced in the coil by the magnetic resonance signal. These receive coils may be arranged as closely as possible to an object under examination (e.g., a patient). The receive coils may therefore also be local coils. The induced voltage may be forwarded to the receiving electronics reinforced by a low-noise preamplifier.
Originally, arrays with as many small antennae as possible were introduced to improve the Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) of the received magnetic resonance signal. The SNR may be negatively influenced by the losses in the antennae, a poor fill factor, and possible user errors (e.g., overlaps).
Now, arrays are used, for example, for parallel imaging techniques such as, for example, GeneRalized Autocalibrating Partially Parallel Acquisitions (GRAPPA) and/or SENSitivity Encoding (SENSE). From this, a reduction of a measurement period may be obtained, which is to be provided for the examination of the object under examination. Multichannel arrays, the antennae of which may have different types of spatial alignment relative to the transmission field, are thus to be provided.